Charley Pride To Be Honored With Lifetime Achievement Award At CMA Awards

Pride (Photo: Joseph Llanes)

Groundbreaking star and COUNTRY MUSIC HALL OF FAME member CHARLEY PRIDE was announced TODAY (10/22) as the 2020 recipient of the COUNTRY MUSIC ASSOCIATION’s (CMA) WILLIE NELSON Lifetime Achievement Award. PRIDE, the format’s first Black superstar, will receive his honor during “The 54th Annual CMA Awards,” set for WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 11th at NASHVILLE’s MUSIC CITY CENTER. The show will be broadcast live at 8p (ET) on ABC.

The award recognizes an iconic artist who has attained the highest degree of recognition in Country music, achieving both national and international prominence and stature through concert performances, humanitarian efforts, philanthropy, record sales and public representation at the highest level. Recipients must also have positively impacted and contributed to the growth of the genre over the years, and been proven to have an unprecedented historical impact on fans and industry alike. Previous recipients include namesake NELSON (2012), KENNY ROGERS (2013), JOHNNY CASH (2015), DOLLY PARTON (2016) and KRIS KRISTOFFERSON (2019).

“CHARLEY PRIDE is the epitome of a trailblazer,” said CMA CEO SARAH TRAHERN. “Few other artists have grown Country music’s rich heritage and led to the advancement of Country music around the world like CHARLEY. His distinctive voice has created a timeless legacy that continues to echo through the Country community today. We could not be more excited to honor CHARLEY with one of CMA’s highest accolades.”

In 1971, PRIDE was named CMA Entertainer of the Year as well as Male Vocalist of the Year, and won the latter award again in 1972. PRIDE was also the first Black man to co-host the CMA Awards, taking the reins in 1975 alongside GLEN CAMPBELL. He became a GRAND OLE OPRY member in 1993 and was inducted into the COUNTRY MUSIC HALL OF FAME in 2000. He is a three-time GRAMMY Award winner, and was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award by THE RECORDING ACADEMY in 2017.

« see more Net News